1. TODAY Practice clicker use. Define some basic terms: environment and ecosystem. Consider scales and borders. Introduce biogeochemical cycles.

2. I can clearly define “ecosystem.” 1.Yes 2.No

3. ENVIRONMENT “The combination of all things and factors external to the individual or population of organisms in question.”

4. SCALE Scale: dimensions of space and time. Often used to refer to levels of biological organization –Example: Cell, tissue, organisms (bacteria, flea, cat, elephant), ecosystem, region, the globe Patterns, processes, measurements Why relevant? –Lots of knowledge about small scale things –Lots of questions about large scale processes & patterns

7. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE National Academy of Sciences is an honorific society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. –The NAS was signed into being by President Abraham Lincoln on March 3, 1863, …to keep pace with the growing roles that science and technology would play in public life. –National Research Council in 1916.

8. The National Academy of Science names 8 “Grand Challenges” Which of the following was NOT named? 1.Infectious Disease and the Environment 2.Invasive Species 3.Biological Diversity and Ecosystem Functioning

9. Biogeochemical cycles Biological diversity and ecosystem Functioning Climate variability Hydrologic forecasting Infectious disease and the environment Institutions and resource use Land-use dynamics Reinventing the use of materials

10. Environmental Issues - NRC vs. KC IssueNational Research CouncilKing County 1Biogeochemical cycles Water and watersheds,lawns, energy 2Climate variability Floods, global warming info. KC Climate Plan 3Biological diversity & ecosystem functioning Shorelines, wetlands, forests, salmon 4Hydrological forecasting Floods, stormwater 5Infectious diseases & the environment Noxious weeds, wastewater 6Institutions and resource use Environmental services in King County 7Land use dynamics Stewardship, dumps, regional planning, zoning atlas 8Reinventing the use of materials Biosolids, recycling

11. What is a system? System: a collection of matter, parts, or components which are included inside a specified, often arbitrary, boundary. Example: Ecosystem Systems often have inputs and outputs. For dynamic systems, by definition, one or more aspects of the system change with time. –Example of a simple dynamic system: bathtub or your ‘bank’ account. The boundary of a dynamic system is chosen for convenient conceptual separation for the system

13. What are biogeochemical cycles? Earth system has four parts –Atmosphere –Hydrosphere –Lithosphere –Biosphere Biogeochemical cycles: The chemical interactions (cycles) that exist between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere. Abiotic (physio-chemical) and biotic processes drive these cycles

14. What is common amongst them? Each compound (water, carbon, nitrogen) typically exists in all four parts of the Earth System There are –‘Pools’ –Fluxes in and out of pools –Chemical or biochemical transformations Transformations –are important –can lead to positive & negative consequences

15. Transformations Examples of Transformations 1.Water cycle: Liquid water to water vapor (process: evaporation and evapo-transpiration) 2.Water cycle: Water vapor to liquid water (process: condensation) 3.Carbon cycle: Organic compounds to CO 2 (processes: respiration, decomposition, or fire) 4.Carbon cycle: CO 2 to organic compounds (process: photosynthesis) 5.Nitrogen cycle: N 2 to NO 3 (atmospheric nitrogen to plant utilizable nitrate) (process: N-fixation) 6.Nitrogen cycle: N 2 to NH 3 (plant utilizable ammonia) (process: Haber-Bosch Industrial N-fixation)

16. 5000 http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/carbon_cycle_version2.html Carbon Cycle

17. Carbon Cycle Data Burning of fossil fuels Land conversion Cement Role of Oceans Role of terrestrial plants (trees & soils) 760 59 Lithosphere

18. Key Aspects of the Carbon Cycle Carbon is the skeleton of all life. Carbon dioxide is a critical gas: –Taken up by plants in photosynthesis –Released by plants and animals in respiration –Released during decomposition (and fires) –Greenhouse gas

19. Question: Photosynthesis is an example of a pool 1.True 2.False Answer Now! 10

20. Nitrogen Cycle www.britannica.com

21. Nitrogen Cycle Forms & Sources of biologically available nitrogen (N 2 ) For plants NO 3 - (nitrate) NH 4 + (ammonium) Sources: N-fixation by plants (N 2 to NH 3 and N 2 to NO 3 ), lightening, bacteria decomposition of organic N (amino acids & proteins) For animals Organic forms: amino acids and proteins (from plants or other animals)

22. Nitrogen Cycle Losses of nitrogen from system In bogs, lakes (places of low oxygen), NO 3 - is converted to N 2 by bacteria (get their oxygen from the NO 3 ) Volatilization of NH 4 + (urea) to ammonia gas (NH 3 ) - warm, dry conditions. Leaching of NO 3 - (nitrate) Erosion Fire (combustion)

23. Nitrogen Sources over time

24. Nitrogen Cycle: Key Points Nitrogen is in the atmosphere as N 2 (78%) N 2 is an inert gas and cannot be used by plants or animals N 2 can be converted to a usable form via –Lightening –N-fixing plants and cyanobacteria –Industrial process (energy intensive) Nitrogen limits plant growth Nitrogen is easily lost from biological systems

27. Summary What are systems? What are biogeochemical cycles? Why are they important? What is common about them? Carbon and nitrogen cycles Future thinking